Janna Gur
Encyclopedia
Janna Gur is an Israel
i food writer, editor
and cook book author and an expert on Israeli
and Jewish cuisine
.
and a medical doctor, Gur was born in the Latvia
n capital Riga
in the then Soviet Union
and immigrated to Israel
in 1974. Upon reaching army age she joined the IDF
's academic corps
and studied English literature
at the Hebrew University
.
She did her military service as an Officer
in the Israeli Navy, where she taught technical English to future naval officers. Gur went on to MA
studies in literary translation at Tel Aviv University
while working as an El Al
flight attendant
to help finance her studies. The work with EL Al gave her the opportunity to travel and world sparked early interest in gastronomy
.
She translated into Hebrew, from Russian
, Mikhail Bulgakov
's satire
Heart of a Dog
and from English
, Yael Dayan
's biography
of Moshe Dayan
My Father, His Daughter.
She thought that she had found her vocation as a literary translator but then she met her husband, Ilan Gur, a journalist and an independent publisher, who introduced her to the world of magazine publishing.
In 1991, one month before the Gulf War
, the couple launched Al Hashulchan, with Janna Gur as the chief editor. The last decade of the 20th century
was the formative one for the local food revolution and the interest in gastronomy was immense.
Al Hashulchan, originally conceived as a trade journal
for chef
s and restaurateur
s, developed a following among local foodie
s and in time evolved into a popular general interest food and wine
magazine. Today it is considered the premier culinary Hebrew speaking magazine and is widely ready by amateurs and professionals alike.
In 2001, Al Hashulchan Media Group was established - as a specialized cook book publishing house. Janna Gur, as the chief editor, was involved in editing of over 40 Hebrew cookbooks, among them Sheshet - "The Kitchen Helper" series, which offered innovative approach to understanding recipe
s and cooking techniques. Nira Russo, a famous Israeli food writer, wrote about the first book in the series: "if you have a budget for just one cookbook, a definitive one, this is the book you should get."
Between 2002-2002 Gur hosted a regular food segment on Channel 1
"Good Morning Israel" show. She continues to frequently appear on TV and radio
, talking about food and wine and local culinary culture.
and published in late 2007 by Umschau Verlag. In 2008 Schocken Books
division of Random House
released an American edition. "The Book of New Israeli Food" was shortlisted for the "Jewish Book Council Awards" in 2009,
and chosen as one of the 25 best cookbooks for 2009 by "Food & Wine
Magazine".
"The Book of New Israeli Food is splendid", wrote Claudia Roden
, "...engagingly written, with delicious reciped and stunning photographs."
At once a coffee-table book to browse and a complete cookbook, the book feature over 200 recipe
s, an historic introduction and background stories on various aspects of local gastronomy, such as olive oil
, wine
, local market
s, grill
etc. The book is fully illustrated with on location photographs by Eilon Paz. Contributors: Rami Han (research and recipe translation), Orly Pely Bronshtein and Ruth Oliver (food editing and recipes, Adam Montefiore (chapters on wine and olive oil).
Since the book was published, Janna has been touring and lecturing extensively about Israeli and Jewish Food, mainly in North America
,
and is involved in various media projects promoting Israeli gastronomy.
She wrote the first ever course on Israeli Cuisine for the New York Times Knowledge Network.
She is currently involved in the Treasure Box project aimed at preserving Jewish ethnic cuisines for future generations.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i food writer, editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
and cook book author and an expert on Israeli
Israeli cuisine
Israeli cuisine comprises local dishes by Jews native to Israel and dishes brought to Israel by Jews from the Diaspora. Since before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and particularly since the late 1970s, an Israeli Jewish fusion cuisine has developed.Israeli cuisine has adopted,...
and Jewish cuisine
Jewish cuisine
Jewish Cuisine is a collection of the different cooking traditions of the Jewish people worldwide. It is a diverse cuisine that has evolved over many centuries, shaped by Jewish dietary laws and Jewish Festival and Sabbath traditions...
.
Biography
The only child of mathematicianMathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and a medical doctor, Gur was born in the Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n capital Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in the then Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and immigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1974. Upon reaching army age she joined the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
's academic corps
Atuda
Atuda, or Academic Atuda , is a program of the Israeli Defense Forces which enables youngsters who are intended to join the army as soldiers, to study academic studies prior to their military service...
and studied English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at the Hebrew University
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
She did her military service as an Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the Israeli Navy, where she taught technical English to future naval officers. Gur went on to MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
studies in literary translation at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
while working as an El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
to help finance her studies. The work with EL Al gave her the opportunity to travel and world sparked early interest in gastronomy
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
.
She translated into Hebrew, from Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
's satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
Heart of a Dog
Heart of a Dog
Heart of a Dog , a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, is a biting satire of the New Soviet man written in 1925 at the height of the NEP period, when Communism appeared to be weakening in the Soviet Union....
and from English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Yael Dayan
Yael Dayan
Yaël Dayan is an Israeli politician and author. She served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 2003, and is currently the chair of Tel Aviv city council. She is the daughter of Moshe Dayan and sister of Assi Dayan.-Biography:...
's biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
My Father, His Daughter.
She thought that she had found her vocation as a literary translator but then she met her husband, Ilan Gur, a journalist and an independent publisher, who introduced her to the world of magazine publishing.
In 1991, one month before the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, the couple launched Al Hashulchan, with Janna Gur as the chief editor. The last decade of the 20th century
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
was the formative one for the local food revolution and the interest in gastronomy was immense.
Al Hashulchan, originally conceived as a trade journal
Trade journal
A trade magazine, also called a professional magazine, is a magazine published with the intention of target marketing to a specific industry or type of trade. The collective term for this area of publishing is the trade press....
for chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s and restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
s, developed a following among local foodie
Foodie
Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.- Distinguished from gourmet :...
s and in time evolved into a popular general interest food and wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
magazine. Today it is considered the premier culinary Hebrew speaking magazine and is widely ready by amateurs and professionals alike.
In 2001, Al Hashulchan Media Group was established - as a specialized cook book publishing house. Janna Gur, as the chief editor, was involved in editing of over 40 Hebrew cookbooks, among them Sheshet - "The Kitchen Helper" series, which offered innovative approach to understanding recipe
Recipe
A recipe is a set of instructions that describe how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish.-Components:Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components*The name of the dish...
s and cooking techniques. Nira Russo, a famous Israeli food writer, wrote about the first book in the series: "if you have a budget for just one cookbook, a definitive one, this is the book you should get."
Between 2002-2002 Gur hosted a regular food segment on Channel 1
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
"Good Morning Israel" show. She continues to frequently appear on TV and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, talking about food and wine and local culinary culture.
The Book of New Israeli Food
Published by Al Hashulchan in 2007 was Janna's first as an author. It was translated into GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and published in late 2007 by Umschau Verlag. In 2008 Schocken Books
Schocken Books
Schocken Books is a publishing company that was established in Berlin with a publishing office in Prague in 1931 by the Schocken Department Store owner Salman Schocken. It published the writings of Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Franz Kafka and S. Y...
division of Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
released an American edition. "The Book of New Israeli Food" was shortlisted for the "Jewish Book Council Awards" in 2009,
and chosen as one of the 25 best cookbooks for 2009 by "Food & Wine
Food & Wine
Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
Magazine".
"The Book of New Israeli Food is splendid", wrote Claudia Roden
Claudia Roden
Claudia Roden is a cookbook writer based in the United Kingdom. She was born 1936 in Cairo, Egypt. After completing her formal education in Paris, she moved to London to study art...
, "...engagingly written, with delicious reciped and stunning photographs."
At once a coffee-table book to browse and a complete cookbook, the book feature over 200 recipe
Recipe
A recipe is a set of instructions that describe how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish.-Components:Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components*The name of the dish...
s, an historic introduction and background stories on various aspects of local gastronomy, such as olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, local market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s, grill
Grill
-In food:* Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function.* Grilling, a form of cooking that involves direct heat....
etc. The book is fully illustrated with on location photographs by Eilon Paz. Contributors: Rami Han (research and recipe translation), Orly Pely Bronshtein and Ruth Oliver (food editing and recipes, Adam Montefiore (chapters on wine and olive oil).
Since the book was published, Janna has been touring and lecturing extensively about Israeli and Jewish Food, mainly in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
,
and is involved in various media projects promoting Israeli gastronomy.
She wrote the first ever course on Israeli Cuisine for the New York Times Knowledge Network.
She is currently involved in the Treasure Box project aimed at preserving Jewish ethnic cuisines for future generations.
External Links
Articles about Janna Gur- Naomi Kooler (April 8th 2009), "Author has seen many changes in Israeli food", The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- Joe Crea (September 23th 2008), "Author Janna Gur sets rich table for Jewish holidays with 'The Book of New Israeli Food'", Cleveland.com
- Linda Morel (September 10th 2009), "New Year meals in Israel reflect international sensibilities", Jewish Weekly
- Matthue Roth (October 16th 2008), "A Taste of Israel", The Jewish Daily Forward
- (October 4th 2010), "ISRAEL FOOD AND CULTURE: Israel on a plate", The Financial Express
- The Book of New Israeli Food Reviews, Janna Gur's Website
- Janna Gur blog, at JewcyJewcyJewcy is an online magazine and user community. The site was launched on November 15, 2006. The Guardian has described Jewcy as "a cultural icon" and "at the forefront of a reinvention of Jewish identity by young US Jews."...
- Janna Gur's Website
- Al Hashulchan website
- "The Wandering Chickpea" Article by Janna Gur, in Mark BittmanMark BittmanMark Bittman is an American food journalist and author. He is columnist for The New York Times.-Education:Bittman is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School Class of 1967 and of Clark University.-Career:...
's blog, New York Times